One of the most serious environmental problems of our time is the pollution of the atmosphere by the effluent of furnaces. The smoke pouring from chimneys often contains high concentrations of irritants and pollutants, primarily sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is a colorless gas irritating to the throat and eyes of human beings and damaging to plant life through the formation in the atmosphere of acid rain. Because it is dangerous to the respiratory system even in low concentrations, sulfur dioxide is an objectionable constituent in the atmosphere. In its gaseous form sulfur dioxide finds its way into the atmosphere primarily through the combustion of all types of fuels and the smelting of sulfide ores.
The prior art generally makes use of spraying means to scrub out pollutants from effluents. Streams of water are introduced into the chimney, dissolving certain of the contaminants which then are directed away from the outlet of the chimney or flue. This means of scrubbing is only partially successful, and in large industrial situations quickly saturates the system and the contaminant escapes into the atmosphere. It is virtually impossible to flood this type of scrubbing equipment sufficiently to eliminate sulfur dioxide fumes. Fume scrubbers containing a liquid component and fabricated of reinforced plastic are also available for handling corrosive fumes. The scrubbers are unable to withstand the high temperatures of fuel combustion and sulfur ore smelting which often reach or exceed 1500 degrees Fahrenheit.
As will be apparent from the following description, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art while providing a means for effectively cleaning flue effluent that is adaptable to virtually any size or temperature operation.